Seattle Travel Guide

View from Kerry Park

2/28/20 – 3/2/20. The weekend I was in Seattle. Also, the place and time of the first Covid deaths in the US. I’ll never forget getting the alerts on my phone as I was about to step into Pike Place Market. The first death in the country due to the virus just a few miles away from where I was standing! Suddenly I was aware of the crowds at the Market and panic ensued. I looked for the nearest drug store to stock up on Purell. This was before masks were a thing and Purell was thought to be the only line of defense against the virus. The only store I could find was a Target and Purell was sold out. I bought a box of Clorox wipes and rubbed my hands with it until I found Purell at a Walgreens LOL (I don’t recommend doing this) Little did I know Clorox would soon be sold out everywhere. I tried to not let it ruin my trip but this was the first few days of a behavior change that would last to this day. Constant washing of hands, avoiding crowds, doing things outdoors. Despite this nightmare scenario, it was still an epic trip. And so fortunate it was because this would be the last trip I would take for 7 months :/

The Emerald City is breathtaking. Surrounded by Lake Washington, Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains, and the Olympic Mountains, it’s hip and weird. It’s the birthplace of grunge rock. It’s home to Boeing, Microsoft, and Amazon. It surprisingly has a great food scene other than seafood. It feels like one giant neighborhood. For a travel guide of one of the most unique cities I have ever visited, check out my post below.

Where to Stay in Seattle:

Mediterranean Inn. Located in the Queen Anne neighborhood, it’s just blocks away from the Space Needle and a good central area to stay if you’re going to explore downtown, Pike Place, and the Fremont neighborhood. The hotel also has bombass rooftop views of the city.

Transportation in Seattle:

If you’re going to see Mount Rainier or explore the forests of the Pacific Northwest, rent a car. If you’re just going to explore the city, then you can Uber or take a ride on Seattle’s street cars. If you’re exploring the South Lake Union neighborhood that’s full of bars and restaurants, take a ride on the SLUT (South Lake Union Trolley). The line connects the South Lake Union neighborhood to Seattle’s vibrant downtown, consisting of 1.3 miles and nine stops. The other street car, First Hill, stretches 2.5 miles, with stops in Capitol Hill, First Hill, Central District, the International District, and Pioneer Square. If you’re not renting a car and you’re staying downtown, take the Link Light Rail straight from the airport to your hotel.

What to Do in Seattle:

  • Deception Pass – Located an hour and a half north of Seattle, Deception Pass is a strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island. It connects Skagit Bay, part of Puget Sound, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A pair of bridges known collectively as Deception Pass Bridge cross Deception Pass. The views of the Pass from the bridges are amazing and you can park and walk down to the shore.
  • Kerry Park – A small public park just a 15 minute walk from the Mediterranean Inn that offers a great view of the Space Needle with Mount Rainier as a backdrop.
  • Space Needle – You can take a short walk from the Mediterranean Inn to get a close-up view. Instead of paying $35 to ride to the top, head over to the Columbia Tower for better views of the city instead.
  • Seattle Public Library – If you’re walking to the Columbia Tower, it’s worth a stop to check out this architectural beauty!
  • Columbia Tower: Located on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center and $12 cheaper than the Space Needle, Sky View offers a 360-degree view of the city, including views of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, the Seattle Great Wheel, and if the weather is clear, Mount Rainier.
  • Mount Rainier – About a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle is Mount Rainier, an active volcano that ascends to 14,410 feet above sea level, and is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A. If you go in the winter time, drive up to the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center and from their you can embark on short hiking trails. If you’re lucky and it’s clear enough you can see Mount Rainier itself. You can rent snow shoes from Whittaker as well (see below).
  • Pike Place Market – An open-air fish/farmer’s market in downtown Seattle. Sort of touristy but worth checking out because Seattle is synonymous with the market. A few favorites at the market are Piroshky Piroshky, Pike Place Chowder, Rachel’s Ginger Beer. Also, the home of the original Starbuck’s.
  • Athenian Inn – If you’re a Sleepless in Seattle fan like me (I like chick flicks, what of it), you can sit in the exact seats at the counter that Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner sat in.
  • Gum Wall – Pretty disgusting but also a Seattle landmark, it’s a 15-foot-high by 50 long section of wall covered in several inches of gum.
  • Volunteer Park: Climb the old water tower at Volunteer Park in Capitol Hill to get great views of the city and check out the Black Sun Sculpture. It’s a granite sculpture of a dark black circle with a hole in the middle. If you maneuver to the correct angle, the sculpture perfectly frames the Space Needle for a perfect IG pic. Fun fact, rumor has it that Soundgarden’s song, Black Hole Sun, is named after this sculpture.
  • Dispensaries – When in Rome
  • Gas Works Park – One of the strangest parks in the world, it is the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. It’s located east of the Fremont neighborhood and has some really good views of Lake Union, the Space Needle, and the Seattle skyline.
  • The Fremont Troll – Continuing the weird trend, it’s a giant sculpture located under the Aurora Bridge that makes for an awesome photo op.
  • Smith Tower – An historic tower that was the tallest building west of the Mississippi for 17 years and has an observatory at the top that turns into a Speakeasy-style bar at night (Tickets required).
  • Drive to Portland – If you already made the trek south to see Mount Rainier, you might as well keep going south for 3 more hours and hang out in Portland for a night. Eat at Duck House for dinner and then finish the night at Breakside Brewery.
  • Space Needle
  • Space Needle
  • Pike Place Market
  • Pike Place Market
  • Original Starbucks
  • Athenian Inn
  • Starbucks Reserve Roastery
  • Black Sun Sculpture
  • Volunteer Park
  • View from Mediterranean Inn Rooftop
  • Seattle Public Library
  • Fremont Brewery
  • Lost Lake Diner
  • Ramen
  • Double Fisting @ Queen Anne Beer Hall
  • Queen Anne Beer Hall
  • Elysian Brewery
  • Deception Pass
  • Drive from Mount Rainier to Portland
  • Mount Rainier National Park
  • Snow Angels @ Mount Rainier National Park
  • Hiking in Mount Rainier National Park
  • Drive to Mount Rainier
  • Gum Wall

What to Eat & Drink in Seattle:

Tips for Visiting Seattle:

  • Between November 1 and May 1, all vehicles in Mount Rainier National Park are required to carry tire chains. This requirement applies to all vehicle types in all weather and road conditions. You can rent tire chains and snow shoes at Whittaker Mountaineering.
  • On average it rains 155 days a year in Seattle. So, bring an umbrella and a light rain jacket.
  • Ballard, Capitol Hill, and Fremont are the neighborhoods worth checking out.
  • The only Starbucks you should visit in Seattle is the original one. And that’s just to take a selfie in front of it. There’s so many independent coffee shops worth checking out.

Bucket List for Visiting Seattle Again:

  • Water taxi to West Seattle to explore (Board at Pier 50)
  • Alki Beach
  • Pioneer Square (Underground tour) – Tour subterranean storefronts entombed when the city rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire of 1889.
  • Climb all 785 stairs of the Queen Anne Public Stairs on Wilcox Wall. It was built in 1915 as part of Queen Anne Boulevard but the boulevard was never built. Now used as a jogging path and the top of the stairs offers views of the Olympic Mountains.
  • Take a scenic drive along Chuckanut Drive, Washington’s original scenic byway, which runs 20 miles from Burlington to Bellingham along the shoreline of Samish Bay on Washington State Highway 11.

Seattle Maps: